A Maryland woman who suffered a stroke in Panama is stranded with $45,000 in medical bills. How to make sure a dream trip doesn’t become a nightmare

He noted that nothing seemed amiss until a Panama layover on the way home a little over a week ago, “when she started feeling dizzy, nauseous, and confused.”

She was taken to a local hospital, where she was diagnosed with a stroke as a result of blood clots in neck arteries that traveled to her brain.

But then came more bad news: she’s facing $45,000 and counting in medical bills for her treatment, and still needs to find a way to get home.

The cost of an emergency medical situation abroad

Rytina’s insurance situation is not entirely clear, but her family said her health insurance “isn’t covering anything,” which indicates she may not have had medical insurance specifically for travel.

Her best friend, Megan Wright, arranged a GoFundMe, which has since raised more than $30,000 for the family, with a goal of $100,000.

Wright last provided an update on Rytina’s situation on June 13, noting that Rytina had been moved out of the ICU and, while she still has fluid on the brain, is awake and aware and can complete “small exercises” in bed. She said the family is awaiting another CT scan on her brain before they’ll know when they can bring Rytina home, likely via medical evacuation. However, Rytina’s family members told WMAR-2 in a June 15 story that she is still not able to speak.

Moneywise reached out to Rytina’s family, but we have not yet received responses to our questions.

Unfortunately, however, Rytina’s situation also illustrates the cost burden that Americans can face when a medical emergency occurs while traveling abroad.

That’s because most regular U.S.-based medical insurance doesn’t cover medical assistance — anything from broken bones to emergency room visits and hospital stays — while traveling outside the country. Even Medicare only offers coverage outside the U.S. in very limited circumstances.

All of this makes buying emergency medical insurance when traveling abroad even more imperative.

Chrissy Valdez, Senior Director of Operations at U.S. online travel insurance marketplace Squaremouth, told Moneywise that, without coverage, “any injury or illness encountered abroad is likely paid entirely out of pocket, and the financial exposure ranges from manageable to catastrophic depending on what happens.”

As an example, Valdez pointed to the recent extreme heat across France and the U.K., where many people incurred costs related to urgent treatment for heat-related illnesses such as dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.

Squaremouth data shows that in 2024, for those with emergency medical insurance for traveling, the average payout is over $1,700. However, Kalin’s situation illustrates how costs can spiral into the tens of thousands of dollars depending on the severity of the medical event.